Man who confessed to killing Cristina has been jailed, along with another man for concealing evidence

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The third person arrested has been released on bail, subject to certain conditions

Irene Quirante

The judge in Court 4 of the Gender-Based Violence Division of the Malaga Magistrates’ Court ordered on Friday that the man who has confessed ... to the violent death of Cristina - the woman found on Wednesday in a well in Rincón de la Victoria - be remanded in custody, to be held in isolation and without bail. She has also ordered the another man arrested on suspicion of covering up the crime to be remanded in custody.

Cristina’s partner, who did give evidence before the judge, is initially being investigated for homicide, although this charge may change during the preliminary investigation, according to sources at the High Court of Justice of Andalusia (TSJA). The second man, who exercised his right to remain silent, is under investigation for the offence of concealing evidence.

As for the third person arrested, the partner of one of the others, the judge has ordered her release subject to the following precautionary measures: withdrawal of her passport, a requirement to appear in court to sign the record, and a ban on leaving the country, with the warning that failure to comply with any of these would constitute a breach of the precautionary measures, leading to her imprisonment. This third detainee also exercised her right to remain silent.

Cristina was 35 years old, from Malaga and the mother of a teenage daughter. She had been missing since the end of March, prompting her family to report her disappearance as they were unable to contact her. The search ended on Wednesday with the worst possible outcome, following the discovery of her body inside a well on a property in Rincón de la Victoria. The leading theory is that her partner stabbed her to death, according to sources close to the case who spoke to SUR.

In addition to stab wounds, signs consistent with drowning were also reportedly found on the victim’s body, according to sources. The crime, which all the evidence suggests is a case of gender-based violence, has led to the launch of a joint investigation by the National Police and the Civil Guard.

A crucial breakthrough in the investigation came on Wednesday, when the victim’s partner, a man in his fifties, broke down in front of the police, after which he allegedly confessed to killing Cristina. According to sources, the arrest took place at a property where the suspect was with a relative.